The Hangzhou-London Tech Innovation Forum opens on Sept 10, with an online version held for international participants and an offline version held in Hangzhou. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

Hangzhou and London, two cities strong in technology and innovation, held a tech innovation forum on Sept 10, with an online version offered for international participants and an offline version held for locals in Hangzhou, local media reported.

The event was attended by officials and business leaders from the Chinese offices of the British Department for International Trade, London & Partners, global top 500 companies, and unicorn and unicorn-hopeful companies with bright development prospects.

At the roundtable discussions on how scientific and technological innovation can help the world recover in the post-pandemic era, attendees held discussions related to artificial intelligence, block chain, internet of things, 5G, and health technology.

Zhao Kaixi, director of the local science and technology bureau, said Hangzhou's welcoming climate as well as industrial and technological clusters have made it a great choice for international talent and venture capital institutions.

"We have achieved progress in cross-border e-commerce, talent settlement, internet innovation and entrepreneurship, and integration of information and industry," Zhao said.

International participants at the forum [Photo/Hangzhou Future Sci-Tech City]

A talent introduction center run by the Hangzhou Future Sci-Tech City in the United Kingdom and a G5 venture capital institution was unveiled on the sidelines.

The event received support from the Department for International Trade in the UK, London & Partners, and Informa Markets, a London-based international business-to-business event organizer.

Statistics show that to date, Hangzhou has developed 41 national sci-tech incubators, more than any other sub-provincial city in China. There are 31 unicorns and 142 unicorn-hopeful companies in Hangzhou, with a total value estimated at more than $310 billion.